How to consume CBD healthily?

In France, there are many users of cannabidiol (CBD). This particular molecule occurs naturally in the cannabis plant. It is known as a ‘cannabinoid’, like many other molecules capable of binding to our endocannabinoid system. Cannabidiol is thought to have numerous positive health effects, particularly due to its interaction with the CB1 and CB2 receptors. The scientific community is currently studying its potential to reduce chronic pain, anxiety and inflammation. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol is not psychoactive. It offers a natural solution for looking after one’s body and mind. Few side effects have been reported.

However, it would appear that one of the most common ways of consuming it is through combustion. Smoking potent CBD flowers is all the rage… However, this is not the only method, and certainly not the best.

Here, we explain how to enjoy the benefits of CBD… without smoking it!

Key takeaways:

• Smoking CBD is not the healthiest way to consume it.
• CBD can be effectively consumed as an oil, herbal tea, or via a vaporiser.
• Burning CBD can break down its molecules and reduce its effectiveness.
• Consuming CBD without smoking avoids the harmful effects of smoke on your health.

>>See all our CBD products in the shop<<

Why shouldn’t you smoke CBD?

Combustion: bad for your health

The first answer is obvious and concerns the harmful effects of smoke on the body. Smoke irritates the lungs and can cause respiratory problems. This primary concern masks a host of other conditions affecting, in particular, the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. (1)

When smoked, CBD is often mixed with tobacco. Tobacco smoke contains nearly 4,000 chemical substances. (2) Naturally, a large proportion of the particles contained in the smoke are toxic to the body. Among the best-known toxic substances are: nicotine, tar, lead, mercury…

In other words, even if you derive some pleasure from smoking potent CBD flowers, they can prove harmful to the body. Certain filters, such as activated carbon filters, reduce the harmfulness of the smoke, but do not eliminate it completely.

Nicotine: the scourge of CBD joints

To date, no scientific study has succeeded in proving any risk of addiction to CBD.

The World Health Organisation’s Expert Committee on Drug Dependence states that it ‘has been impossible to identify reports of controlled studies on the physical dependence potential of CBD in laboratory animals or humans.’ (3)

Tobacco, which is often found in CBD joints, has been criticised for decades for its addictive potential. In just a few weeks, if not less, the user becomes dependent on cigarettes. The CBD user, by smoking it, therefore becomes addicted not to cannabidiol, but to the nicotine contained in the tobacco. 

Smoking cannabidiol with tobacco therefore creates an addiction.

The cannabidiol molecule compromised

Smoking CBD is equivalent to burning hemp leaves. The ‘perfect’ temperature for effective cannabidiol consumption is between 170 and 190°C. It is within this range that cannabidiol molecules become active.

A cigarette, on the other hand, has a combustion temperature that can reach 900°C. Obviously, this temperature is too high to preserve all the benefits of cannabinoids. When you smoke your CBD, it loses its potency and effectiveness as the molecules break down.

Other ways to consume CBD more effectively

To consume cannabidiol properly, it is therefore better to opt for more natural, healthy and effective methods.

At Sixty8, we offer various methods for consuming your CBD that are just as (if not more) effective and far less harmful to the body.

Why consume CBD in oil form?

If you’re looking for powerful effects, taking CBD in oil form is a good option. When taken sublingually (under the tongue), the cannabidiol in the drops quickly crosses the mucosal barrier and enters the bloodstream.

This popular method has the advantage of:

• Making it easier to administer cannabidiol. A few drops under the tongue, in a cup of tea, in a dish… and you’re done!
• Enabling precise dosing. You can choose the exact CBD concentration of your oils and determine your requirements. Concentrations range from 5% to 45%. The higher the concentration, the stronger the effect. Dr Leinow offers advice on appropriate cannabidiol dosages in an article available on the blog.
• Get fast-acting, long-lasting relief! Taken under the tongue, the effects are felt very quickly and last for hours, discreetly.
• Choose the characteristics of your oil. Broad spectrum (THC-free), full spectrum (with traces of THC), with or without flavourings, enriched with active ingredients and essential oils (as in our range of specialised oils) or not, these oils offer great flexibility.

CBD oils are therefore a way to take control of what you consume. You can also opt for CBD capsules, which make daily intake easier.

Why consume CBD in herbal tea?

In herbal teas or food products, cannabidiol is ingested discreetly and hassle-free. Cannabidiol tea relaxes you and ensures the effects of cannabidiol last for hours. It is a more discreet and less intense way to consume CBD.

What’s more, herbal teas are often combined with other ingredients, resulting in a beneficial blend of active compounds. For example, a cannabidiol infusion mixed with Sencha green tea is perfect for cleansing the body.

>> See Sixty8 herbal teas <<

Consuming CBD flowers and resin: the vaporiser

If you still wish to use inhalation but want to avoid combustion, a vaporiser may be a good solution. The vaporiser has a chamber into which you insert the CBD flower, resin or oil directly.

The chamber then heats the product (either using moving hot air or through direct contact with a hot surface), allowing the product to be vaporised without damaging the active compounds.

With a vaporiser, the active substances in the air immediately penetrate the respiratory barriers. The effect is immediate, as well as being very powerful.

The main advantages of a vaporiser are:

• The ability to maintain a direct connection to the CBD flower. The vaporiser is a way to consume the flower directly, in its natural state.
• The ability to choose the vaporisation temperature. The ideal temperature is between 170 and 190 degrees but can reach 220°C. The higher the temperature, the stronger the effects, as more cannabinoids are vaporised.
• The absence of combustion, which avoids harmful fumes.
• Increased bioavailability. The body absorbs CBD more effectively through inhalation (20% absorption compared to 8% when ingested).

Vaping CBD

This alternative method is similar to using a vaporiser, except that it works with e-liquids. E-liquid is often made using cannabidiol isolate, which allows for a very precise concentration.

The benefits of vaping, whether via an e-cigarette, a puff or a wave, are the same as for the vaporiser. The bioavailability of cannabidiol is increased and there is no combustion.

Vaping has other specific advantages:

• You can choose from a wide range of flavours, according to your own tastes.
• Just like with oil, you can choose a precise cannabidiol dosage in your e-liquid.
• The e-cigarette fits anywhere and is a discreet way to consume CBD.

>> Discover our vapes and e-liquids <<

Now that these solutions have been revealed to you, you can opt for tobacco-free CBD!

(1) “What are the health consequences of smoking?”, Santé publique France, 20/20/2022.

(2) Ibid.

(3) “WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, fortieth report”, Geneva, World Health Organization, No. 1013, 2018, p. 24.

See also:

- How to use CBD oil?

- How to make a CBD infusion?

- The different types of CBD products available in Switzerland